1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a function-variable type digital signal processing apparatus for, method of, and computer program product for performing a digital signal processing used for, for example, an audio mixing console and a signal processor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up until now, there have been proposed a wide variety of digital signal processing apparatuses capable of performing digital signal processing to, for example, analog sound signals, thereby enabling to reduce the cost and the size of, and provide multiple functions to an audio mixer such as, for example, an audio mixing console, and a signal processor such as, for example, a voice control device.
One of the conventional digital signal processing apparatus of this type is disclosed in the Japanese Patent No. 3171361. The digital signal processing will be hereinlater simply referred to as “DSP”. The conventional DSP apparatus is shown in FIG. 9 as comprising: a DSP programming device 8 and a DSP device 9. For simplicity and better understanding, the schematic representation of FIG. 9 shows a conventional DSP apparatus comprising only one DSP device 9, but of course needless to mention that the conventional DSP apparatus may comprise a plurality of DSP devices 9.
The DSP programming device 8 has a DSP microprogram storage area. The DSP programming device 8 is operative to store a plurality of DSP microprogram parts in the DSP microprogram storage area. The DSP programming device 8 is then operative to assemble all the DSP microprogram parts stored in the DSP microprogram storage area to create a DSP microprogram to be transferred to the DSP device 9. The DSP device 9 is operative to receive the DSP microprogram from the DSP programming device 8. The DSP device 9 is then operative to initialize itself in response to, and execute the DSP microprogram thus received to implement a desired DSP function. More specifically, the DSP microprogram includes all the DSP microprogram parts stored in the DSP microprogram storage area. Each of the DSP microprogram parts corresponds to a digital signal processing algorithm executable by the DSP device 9 to perform a set of steps necessary to implement a DSP base function forming part of the desired DSP function. The DSP microprogram thus created by the DSP programming device 8 is executable by the DSP device 9 to implement the desired DSP function. This means that the DSP device 9 is required to receive a DSP microprogram including all of the DSP microprogram parts from the DSP programming device 8 before implementing a desired DSP function.
Furthermore, a modification may be made to the DSP microprogram parts to be performed by the DSP device 9 so as to change a DSP function which the DSP device 9 implements to a specified DSP function. For any modification to be made to the DSP microprogram parts constituting the DSP microprogram, the DSP programming device 8 should assemble all of the DSP microprogram parts again to create a modified DSP microprogram to be transferred to the DSP device 9. Subsequently, the DSP device 9 should receive the modified DSP microprogram including all of the DSP microprogram parts from the DSP programming device, initialize itself in response to, and execute the DSP microprogram thus received to implement the specified DSP function.
The conventional DSP apparatus, however, encounters a drawback that the conventional DSP apparatus comprising a plurality of DSP devices 9, in which the DSP programming device 8 is operative to transfer a plurality of DSP microprograms respectively to a plurality of DSP devices 9, and all of the DSP devices 9 are operative to receive the DSP microprograms respectively transferred from the DSP programming device 8, and initialize themselves in response to the DSP microprograms thus received before implementing the desired DSP functions, gives rise to needs that the DSP programming device 8 should transfer a plurality of DSP microprograms respectively to a plurality of DSP devices 9, and all of the DSP devices 9 should receive the DSP microprograms respectively from the DSP programming device 8, and initialize themselves in response to the DSP microprograms thus received before implementing the desired DSP functions, thereby consuming a large amount of time and operation before the DSP devices 9 implement the desired DSP functions.
Furthermore, the conventional DSP apparatus encounters another drawback that any minor modification to, for example, a single DSP microprogram part gives rise to needs that the DSP programming device 8 should assemble all of the DSP microprogram parts again to create a modified DSP microprogram to be transferred to the DSP device 9, and the DSP device 9 should receive the modified DSP microprogram including all of the DSP microprogram parts from the DSP programming device 8, and then initialize itself again in response to the modified DSP microprogram thus received before implementing specified DSP functions, thereby consuming a considerable amount of time and operation. Assuming that a DSP microprogram consists of, for example, 10 units of the DSP microprogram parts, a modification to, for example, a single DSP microprogram part gives rise to needs that the DSP programming device 8 should assemble 10 units of the DSP microprogram parts again to create a modified DSP microprogram to be transferred to the DSP device 9, and the DSP devices 9 should receive the modified DSP microprogram including 10 units of the DSP microprogram parts from the DSP programming device 8, and initialize itself again in response to the modified DSP microprogram thus received, thereby consuming a considerable amount of time and operation before the DSP device 9 implements the specified DSP function. The present invention contemplates resolution of such problems.